I had previously tried using dry table sugar (spiked with a little Honey-Bee-Healthy) to feed my bees. However, I was not convinced they would take it up. So I decided to make a fondant to feed to them. Fondant has the benefits of being solid and easy to handle as well as having some moisture so that the bees can lick it up easier. I followed a recipe I found online more or less. I dithered a bit over as to if I should acidify it with creme of tartar or vinegar (I went with the vinegar) in order to invert the sugar. I also decided to add some, but not a lot, of corn syrup to help keep it from crystallizing too strongly... I was hesitant about adding much since corn syrup has impurities than can give the bees the runs and the only corn syrup I could find had vanilla and salt in it. After boiling to the soft ball stage (around 236 if memory serves) then cooling before beating it to add air and to encourage small crystals, I poured it and let set over night. The resulting slabs were probably harder than ideal, but would still crumble when pinched. Next time I think I wont go as high as 236.
I visited the bees the next day. Taking the top off I found that they did not seem to have made use of much of the sugar in the pie pans.I dumped the sugar to one side of the inner cover to make room for the slab. I broke off several chunks and placed them above the inner cover hole. The bees were interested and I did see several of them starting to work them with their proboscises.
I closed up the top and left my parents. But while I was in the area I swung by one of my parent's neighbors to see if they had any maple cream. They were boiling, but no cream had been made yet. I will check again next time, assuming the roads are not impassable with the advent of mud season.
No comments:
Post a Comment